As China hosts 2022 winter games, Tibetan NGOs announces hunger strike, says international community failed to stand up against China

Heads/representatives of Tibetan Youth Congress, Tibetan Women’s Association, National Democratic Party of Tibet, Gu-Chu-Sum Movement Association of Tibet and Students for a Free Tibet-India during the press conference.

DHARAMSALA, 4 Feb: As the 2022 Winter Olympics opens in Beijing today, the Tibetan NGOs here in the exile headquarters of the Tibetan people declared it a “clear failure of the international community to stand up against China,” and announced a day-long hunger strike to oppose it.

China hosting the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing as it continues to implement policies that are aimed at wiping out Tibetan identity since Tibet was occupied by China while Tibetans are continuously denied human rights, religious freedom, and language rights is a clear failure of the international community to stand up against China,  declared a joint statement issued by the five Tibetan NGOs from here- Tibetan Youth Congress, Tibetan Women’s Association, National Democratic Party of Tibet, Gu-Chu-Sum Movement Association of Tibet and Students for a Free Tibet-India.

With China’s ongoing repressive policies towards Tibetans and other oppressed people coupled with 1.4 billion Chinese people living under the draconian rule of the Chinese Communist Party, the NGOs said “China does not deserve the right to host the Winter Olympics in Beijing with such clear evidence of human rights violations and abuses.”

“Therefore, we firmly oppose China hosting the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, and recognize the failure of the governments and countries supporting the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics,” the statement added.

“China is a threat to the world,” the NGOs declared and added that “the expansionist policies of the CCP is apparent from the developments of border aggressions at the India Tibet border, conflicts at the South China Sea, and war threats to Taiwan.”

Further declaring China as a threat to democracy, the activists warned, “If China continues to go on with its atrocities, the world is in danger of moving apart from democracy.”

The activist from 5 major NGOs braces rain and snow to sit on hunger strike protesting against the “Genocide games.”

The NGOs further declared that for “more than 70 years since Tibet was colonized by China, Tibetans have never stopped struggling for their rights and freedom,” and announced a day-long hunger strike from 10 am to 8 PM here in Mcleod Ganj “to protest against the oppressive policies on Tibetans and to reiterate that China does not qualify for the right to host the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.”

While China was awarded the 2008 Summer Olympics hoping it will bring about  improvements in the rights and lives of the Chinese and oppressed people under the regime, the NGOs declared that “since the 2008 Beijing Olympics, 167 Tibetans have self-immolated to protest against the repressive Chinese occupation,” and that “the situation inside Tibet has been severely deteriorating.”

“Tibetans inside Tibet are living under severe restrictions and repression. There are increased reports of arrests of dissents and enforced disappearance inside Tibet. The recent demolition of giant Buddha statue in Drago, Kham, and ten-year sentence of prominent Tibetan writer Go Sherab Gyatso clear evidence,” it added.

The activists further called for the immediate release of all Tibetan political prisoners including Panchen Rinpoche, without any conditions.

As China is all set to hold the opening ceremony of the games later today at 8 PM(China Time), Tibetan, East Turkistan, and Hong Kong  activists  and NGOs along with the rights groups are staging protests across the world objecting to what they call “Genocide Games.”

The Games are scheduled to be held over 4 -20 Feb, so far, the US, the UK, Lithuanian, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Scotland, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Kosovo, Taiwan and India have all announced the diplomatic boycott of the winter games.

Besides,  the Olympic and Paralympic Committee of countries such as the US, UK, Canada, Dutch and Australia have all reportedly issued similar advice to their  “athletes, coaches and staff to refrain from using their personal electronic devices while in China due to surveillance concerns, and use ‘burner’ phones rather than their cellphones.” 

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